GMS Principal's Corner
February 26, 2021
Dear Galvin Families,
As February comes to a close, so too does Black History Month. To bring our month long learning to a close, we celebrated the Black storytelling tradition today with the Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS). The first storytelling performance was titled “The Story Of Mumbet” performed by Valerie Tutson. This is a story about the underground railroad. The second performance was a folktale titled “The Mule and the Jealous Farmer,” and was performed by Len Cabral.
The storytellers' performances were followed up with a live, virtual question and answer session with both of the performers. Students were able to ask questions of the performers about storytelling techniques, the stories themselves, and much more.
RIBS is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the awareness, appreciation, and application of Black Storytelling through performance, as well as through educational and cultural experiences. They define Black storytelling as an oral art from African descended people from around the world. They do it not just because they believe it is important to know their own history and culture, but for everyone to experience Black culture presented by Black people. We are grateful for the generous support of the Galvin CAPT for sponsoring this event.
Also this week, many Galvin staff and families attended The Canton Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee's Black History Month town-wide celebration. If you missed the evening, we invite you to click on this look to see the recording. The evening included performances by the Canton High School Drama Group and the Canton Afro Dance Group as well as a keynote by James Morton, Esq., President and CEO of the Greater Boston YMCA. Please take the time to view the performances and Mr. Morton's keynote. It was an inspiring and thought-provoking evening.
The Canton Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee is a town committee whose mission is to celebrate and embrace the traditions and values of the groups within our community and advocate for the human and civil rights of all individuals in the Town of Canton through education, promoting community awareness and understanding of cultural differences, and eradicating barriers to equity and inclusion. Please follow our Facebook page for more info about meetings, programming and future events.
Though February is coming to a close, our celebration of Black history and culture is ongoing. At the Galvin, we are committed to the district's Strategic Framework and the specific goal to ensure equity through curriculum, culture building, and celebrations throughout the school year.
Wishing you well this weekend,
Sarah
Project 351 Student Ambassador
The GMS Community would like to congratulate 8th grader Jasmine Findlen for being nominated as this year's Project 351 Ambassador. Project 351 is a grassroots, youth-led, school-based movement for positive change.
Project 351 Ambassadors are invited to “unite, act, and lead” for a year of inspirational service, empowering leadership training, and teamwork with a statewide network of friends. With Project 351 enrichment, training, and mentorship, Ambassadors dedicate a year to build unity, cultivate kindness, and transform lives and communities through service. We are excited to have Jasmine represent the Galvin!
Pictured below: Principal Sarah Shannon and grade 8 Project 351 Ambassador Jasmine Findlen.
GMS Fresh Ink Cover Contest 2021
Please note that the deadline for all submissions is March 12, 2021.
CPS Family Blog: Translations NOW AVAILABLE!
We have great news to share!
There is a new translation feature that has been added to the Canton Public School Blog. Here you can find important information pertaining to district news, updates, announcements.
Here is how to locate and translate the this information
If you are using a laptop, you will see a translation icon at the bottom right corner of the page. If you are using a phone, the translation feature will be at the top of your screen. If you do not see it, pull down on the screen and it will appear.
Choose your preferred language and translate.
Canton Creates Amazing Art!!!
Make sure you check out the new Canton Creates! website!
Canton Creates is a virtual space made to celebrate the creativity of students in the Canton Public Schools. The Visual Arts Department staff wanted to share some of the amazing things that our students have been creating this year, and hope that showcasing our students' work will inspire even more creativity in our school community. “Creativity is contagious, pass it on.” - Albert Einstein
GMS School Report Card 2020
**Please note that this letter was sent via an individual email today as well. This is a reprint.
February 26, 2021
Dear Galvin Middle School Families:
Every year, each public school and school district in Massachusetts receives a report card. Just as your child’s report card shows how they are doing in different subjects, the school’s report card is designed to show families how our school is doing in different areas. A link to our school’s report card is available at http://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/2020/00500305.
The report card includes multiple measures of a school’s performance. It represents a new way of looking at school performance, by providing information on student achievement, teacher qualifications, student learning opportunities, and more. The report card typically includes MCAS performance data; however, no 2020 MCAS data is reported given that students did not participate in MCAS due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Report cards are designed to be useful tools for everyone connected to our school. Families can use the information to have meaningful conversations with us about what the school is doing well and where there is room for improvement. Community and education leaders can use the information to better understand how to support students and our school.
You will notice on our report card that the majority of our students are meeting or exceeding targets and that overall, as a school, we are making progress toward meeting our targets. To improve student performance in our school, we are focused on transforming teaching and learning across all subject areas and creating a student learning experience that engages your children in meaningful and authentic ways. We encourage you to become involved in helping us improve our school. We see parents/guardians as critical partners in the success of our students and school, and we are grateful for your continued support.
If you have questions about our school’s report card or would like to become involved in school improvement activities, please contact me. Our District’s report card is available at http://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/2020/DistrictReportcard/00500000 or to search for other schools’ report cards, visit reportcards.doe.mass.edu.
Sincerely,
Sarah Shannon
Principal, GMS
From the GMS CAPT...
Please join us on Monday, March 1 for this months GMS CAPT Meeting. We will meet via Zoom at 6:30pm. The Zoom link information is below:
Join Zoom Meeting https://cantonma-org.zoom.us/j/2379698749
Meeting ID: 237 969 8749
Passcode: 7818215070
Want to help earn money for GMS?
There are two ways to help! Sign up for Stop & Shop A+ School Rewards and Amazon Smile to earn money for our school while you shop!
1) To sign up for A+ Rewards visit http://www.stopandshop.com and:
- Register for an online account or sign in to an existing one
- Go to My Account
- Choose Rewards & Programs
- Choose A+ and select GMS by entering our School ID: 08122
- You can register up to 2 schools!
2) To sign up for Amazon Smile go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-2311578 and choose William H. Galvin School CAPT Inc.
Buying gift cards? Check out Scrip! Earn up to 20% on EACH card for the Galvin Middle School!
Enrollment Code: B618B87365682
https://www.shopwithscrip.com/
Or get the app and have your gift card to use within minutes!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shopwithscrip.app&fbclid=IwAR0Ah1e2XlOtU0t7zjaR_GKRgmOqjUIgAdgDcn-hOYBI6aIlsgIaZOOjvn0
If you have any questions you can email GalvinCAPT@gmail.com.
Thank you from the Galvin CAPT!